SDA is asking for $357 million for FY25 launch services, down from the nearly $530 million in FY24. Those funds would pay to manifest four planned launches of the Tranche 2 Transport Layer satellites in 2027.
The inclusion of the Medium Landing Ship in the fiscal year 2025 shipbuilding request is a major win for the Marine Corps, which faced significant amphibious shipbuilding cuts last year.
Maj. Gen. Michael Greiner said that the Space Force's initial plans are to develop four new Protected Tactical SATCOM-Global satellites, although those plans could change as the program is a new start for FY25.
“It's just about the overall budget of the Air Force and what we're able to afford and what we're not able to afford,” explained Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter of the decision to cut the birds.
The B61-13, announced in October, seeks to create a higher-yield nuclear bomb that can be used to penetrate hardened enemy locations.
Navy officials have stressed during the budget rollout many 'hard decisions' were made due to the defense spending caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
“There was a debate which ... about so-called ‘reveal, conceal’ [and] how much detail we want to put out,” said Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller Mike McCord. "We're sort of leaning on the side of not disclosing the details..."
The MDA request includes $105 million for the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR), slightly more than the $103.5 requested in FY24. LRDR, deemed a critical capability by US Northern Command (NORTHCOM)/NORAD leaders, will transfer to the Space Force to begin operations in FY25.
The combination of delaying F/A-XX development and shutting down F/A-18 production may not go well for Navy leadership when they testify to lawmakers.
Across the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, the Pentagon will purchase 21 fewer fighter jets than originally expected for the 2025 fiscal year, dropping a planned buy of 107 to 86.
Breaking Defense has you covered for all the news of the Pentagon's fiscal 2025 budget rollout, and this handy landing page of our stories will get you where you need to go.
Navy brass and lawmakers go back-and-forth every year about early ship retirements. This year looks like it will be no different.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall explained that the "small decrease in the number for the Space Force" isn't itself quite reflective of reality, as there are mitigating circumstances that lessen the blow.
“We're very, very fixated on being competitive with the pacing challenge [of China],” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “I think the budget that we've submitted moves us forward — not quite as fast as we would like to, but it moves us forward in the right direction while maintaining current capabilities that are essential to the nation.”
The Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) platform joins the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) on the budget cutting room floor for America's largest service.